Netanyahu won't meet Senate Dems

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is turning down an invitation from two senior senators to meet privately with the Senate Democratic Caucus next week.

In response to an invitation from Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Dianne Feinstein of California to address the Senate minority next week, Netanyahu said he feared such a visit would only further inflame partisan tensions surrounding his March 3 address to Congress.

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“Though I greatly appreciate your kind invitation to meet with Democratic senators, I believe that doing so could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit. I would, of course, be glad to address a bipartisan forum of senators behind closed doors on a future visit, as I have been privileged to do many times in the past,” Netanyahu wrote to the two senators in a letter dated Jan. 24, an apparent error.

Durbin and Feinstein’s office confirmed receiving it on Tuesday evening.

Netanyahu’s address to Congress scheduled for March 3 has elicited outrage among Capitol Hill Democrats, who are miffed that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) invited the prime minister without informing President Barack Obama. Obama will not meet with Netanyahu, and Vice President Joe Biden and a number of congressional Democrats will not attend the address, which comes during the heat of Netanyahu’s reelection campaign and is strongly supported by Republicans.

In the letter to the two Democrats, Netanyahu said he views the speech solely “as an opportunity to speak to the representatives of the American people, not the representatives of any particular political party.”

“I regret that the invitation to address the special joint session of Congress has been perceived by some to be political or partisan. I can assure you that my sole intention in accepting it was to voice Israel’s grave concerns about a potential nuclear agreement with Iran that could threaten the survival of my country,” Netanyahu wrote in the letter.

Durbin said his and Feinstein’s invitation to Netanyahu, sent on Monday and first reported by Reuters, was extended as “an opportunity to balance the politically divisive invitation from Speaker Boehner with a private meeting with Democrats who are committed to keeping the bipartisan support of Israel strong.”

“His refusal to meet is disappointing to those of us who have stood by Israel for decades,” Durbin said Tuesday night.